The Arizona sentinel., 1887-06-18
NATIONAL SPORTS.
The Love of the Anglo-Saxon Race for
 Sturdy Outdoor Exercises.

| The Love of the AngIo-Saxon Race for Sturdy Outdoor Exercises.
 It is striking fact that, of all Eu- ropean races, those inhabiting the British Isles, with their branches scat tered over the world, are the only ones which prefer athletic and open-air games to all others, and practice them with the zest of true enthusiasm. Both in England itself, and in the remote English colonies we find that the most popular pastimes are those which ex- ercise the muscle, and which test physical skill and endurance and this is true of the recreations of both sexes, and of persons of mature age as well as of young people. Cricket in England, golf in Scotland, and baseball in the United States, may be called, from the extent to which they are played, national games. Football is practiced in the schools and colleges of both countries; and boat-rowing has become in both regular and establish ed custom of effort and rivalry. A new out-of-door game-like polo or lawn tennis-is eagerly taken up by English and Americans, and soon becomes a popular habit. The English are too conservative to borrow baseball from America, but the Canadian game of lacrosse is rapidly becoming popular in ''the States" The chief sports of adult Englishmen-hunting and shoot ing-are also practlced in this country, especially in the reg ions of the far West.
 If we turn our eyes to the European continent, we find that the out-of-door games so popular in England and America have scarcely foothold there at all. Such recreations as cricket and base ball are almost, if not wholly, un- known to the boys and young men of France, Germany and Russia. Indeed, the favorite pastimes of the young peo- pie of the continent are sedentary ones. Instead of romping after balls in open spaces, they prefer to stay indoors, and to play billiards, chess or dom- inoes. Even horse-racing and boat racing are regarded by the French and Germans as foreign customs, and are not pursfed with any thing like the zest that they are in English speaking countries. A favorite exercise with the French and Ger mans is that of fencing with small swords and rapiers. But this is not practiced merely as an amusement. The custom of dueling still survives feebly in those countries, to such an extent, at any rate, that it is regarded as a desirable. if not an important, rart a mans education to be expert with the sword.
 Perhaps the most popular of all out of-door pastimes with continental peo- pl es. and especially of those of South ern Europe, is dancing, in which all classes of people take part, and which is resorted to on all festal occasions. The Italians, Spaniards, Roumanians and Hungarians all have great variety balances. accompanied by music especially adapted to each. The Italians have their "tarentella" and "saltar- clio" "the Spaniards their "boleros" and "cachucas," and the Hungarians their "czardas." The principal open-air recreation of the Spaniards is the bar barous ''bull-fght;" but the physical exercise is, of course, confined to the actual performers. The vast audience sit in indolence. watching the cruel sport.
 Here and there, in Europe, indeed, we find athletic games practised. But they are of a milder character than those of the English. For instance, the Italians have game called ''pal- lone," which is played with a big, light ball and heavy gloves; and the Southern Germans play game called ''kegelspiel," something like skittles, and are also fond of tar get-shooting and wrestling. The Rus sians skate and go sleighing; but It can scarcely be said that any vigorous out of-door pastimes are generally prac- ticed in Russia, despite the cold tenn perature of it's more northerly regions.
 It may well be that the more sturdy pastimes of the English race have had their share in imparting that national vigor which has peopled so many regions of the earth with thriving and powerful colonies. Youth'S COnl-